The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1887-03-31

AN.Aal.lluu.ls -
years after He did not make his residence IN
GAINESVILLE, but was there o good deal OF the
time, and made IN impression upon tho work OF
| the Legislature.
Return Jonathan Meigs was the second Gov
ernor elected by the people OF Ohio IL Will DC
remembered that his election was contested by
Nathaniel Massic on the ground that Meigs was
nonresident at the time Of his election.
He was born in Middletown Connecticut, In
170S. He was graduated from Yale College IN
his twentieth year, and three years later was
admitted to the practice Of low, and removed to
Marietta with his young wife.
Marietta was in the wilderness when Meigs
came TO IL, but he found within the stockade,
where the early settlers lived for the sake OF
protection against the Indians, number OF
congenial spirits, who like himself were fond OF
literature and intellectual pursuits.
Meigs soon became man Of some promi-
nence, and is said to have been very highly con-
sidered by Governor st. Clair, at that time, who
in 1700 sent him with dispatches TO the oncer IN
command Of the British post at Detroit Thc
dispatches were formal protest against the ef-
forts Of the British to incite the Indians and
cause them to malse war on the settlers.
Meigs had an adventurous journey, and per
formed his duty well, but the British continued
their inhuman policy.
In the winter OF 1909 he was elected Judge
Of the Supreme Court by the Legislature Of
Ohio The associate judges were Samuel Hunt
ington, who, like himself, was to become Gov,
ernor Of the State, and George Tod. whose SON.
David Tod, was one Of the war Governors Of
Ohio.
Judge Meigs was on good terms " ith thei
Jefferson Administration and after the Louis
lana purchase had been made he was appointed
| by the President to the command Of the upper
portion of the new district with the rank Of
Brevet Colonel of the u. 8. Army. He was
also Judge Of the Supreme Court Of Louisi-
! ana, and was located for o year or SO at St!
Louis. His health failed him and he resigned!
but was soon after appointed by President Jef-
ferson U. s. Judge for the District Of Michigan,
and had just entered upon the duties Of that
ofilce when he was nominated for Governor Of
Ohio. He received o majority OF the votes cast!
but his opponent claimed that his residence in
st. Louis had lost him his citizenship In Ohio,'
and the Legislature sustained this view Of the
case. Judge Meigs did not question the decis-,
| ion, and was shortly afterward selecteda Judge
| of the Supreme Court and was soon after sent
to the u 8. Senate to fill the unexpired term or
John Smith, who resigned his seat to avoid Inn
peachment, because he was suspected of COM
plicity in the Barr conspiracy. Judge Mcigs
/ was elected to a full term in the U. s. Senate
! by the Ohio Legislature as soon as his short
| term OF service expired The next year he was
nominated for Governor, and elected by ma
| jority of more than two thousand votes
He was o good Governor, and in the war Of
1
| Northwestern frontier. His work In this line
| gave him q National reputation, and he was
called to fill o Cabinet office by President Madi-
| son. Governor Meigs was an efficient and salts
factory General, and he held the
ONCE for nine years, resgning at the end OF that
j long period Of service on account Of illhealth.
| He died at his home in Marietta March 20,
1925. |;
Return Jonathan Meigs was the only Governor
Of Ohio in office while GAINESVILLE was capital OF
the State and he was one Of the most talented
/ men that ever held the office.
The following letter, written by Governor
Meigs in November, lSls was recently found at
Marietta:
Exchange ss52
"SIR-At ten days sight of this my second
of Exchange, first of same date md tenor un-
| paid, Pay to Jayson Il. Curtis order two
hundred and ffty-two dollars, It being for ser
vices Us Aid D'Camp to mo lin organizing the
first Army of Ohio. in the service of the United
States) from the 10th of April, 1919, to the Goth
Of July following. R. ]. MEI0s,
"Governor Of Ohio. /
"HoN. w. Eusr1s Secretary of War"
Janson R. Curtis was the father Of the Hon.
| w. F. Curtis, Of Marietta.
| The building in which the ninth and tenth
sessions Of the General Assembly Of Ohio were
held was demolished in 1874. Upon the site of
the old State House md courthouse hand
| some stone building was erected by Musl1ingum
resentation Of the seal of the State taken from
the old courthouse.
When John McIntire died in 1915 he left an
estate which now amounts to about two hun
dred thousand dollars, for benevolent purposes,
| and which produces ON income OF eleven or
twelve thousand dollars. He LETT his property
to his wife and to Amelia McIntire. his daugh-
ter, who died in 1920 unmarried. BY the pro-
visions Of the will her share Of the property be-
came the endowment fund for school for poor
ohtf A dool nP ND haoA Anu, ,oA frovvS
this bequest, and the John McIntiro Children's
Home is on institution in which GAINESVILLE feels
just pride. Not only does MoIntIre's beQuest
furnish home and education to o large number
Of children, but 1t provides books and clothing
for many who attend the public schools, md So
cures the privilege Of q library to several hum
dred young people.
McIntire was the patron and benefactor Of
the town, but his monument Is by no means
commensurate with his deeds and his public
buried in tho old cemetery at the head Of Main
street. and his grave is marked by hat stone
which bears this inscription:
SACRED to the memory Of John McIntire,
who departed this life July 90, 1915. aged 56
years. He was born at Alexandria, Va; laid
out the town of GAINESVILLE in 180O-of which he
was the Patron and Father. He was mem
Der of the Convention which formed the
| Constitution of Ohio. A kind husband, an oblig-
ing neighbor, punctual to his engagements, of
l liberal mind and benevolent disposition, his
/ death was sincerely lamcnted.
"As DER this stone you throw careless eye
l when drawn perchance to this sad. solemn
place.,
Reader remcmber--'tis your lot to de-
You, too, the gloomy realms of death must
trace.
When yonder winding stream shall cease to fow,
Old Oceans waves no longer lash the shore,
When warning tempests shall forget to blow, :
| Aud these surrounding hills exist no more,
| This sleeping dust, reanimatc, shall rise,
Bursting to life, at the last trumpet's sound,
Shall bear part In Natures grand Assize,
When sun, and stars, and time no more ars
found"
McIntircs epitaph is said to have been written
by Ebenezer Granger, an uncle OF Judgs N. II.
Granger
The stone house which McIntire built and "
l which he died, stands In an environment of rail
road tracks at the corner of Fountain and Sec
ond streets .a4 aI
Tho log cabin In which John McIntire first
lived remained standing till 1857. when it was
. taken down by William Culbertson. b
&; L0on,is, in Cincinnati COmmereial Gazette.
! The New Orleans Southeastern
Christian Advocatc, a newspaper for ne.
! groes, says that according to its obser.
) vation the great mass Of white people,
when talking to each other. say me
i, r.r,fs /tho lou, 1,ro6 GOV, r;~,o,\ h,,s